Best Pool Skimmer Basket

What the basket is actually protecting

Everything the skimmer pulls in passes through the basket before it reaches the pump. The basket catches leaves, acorns and bugs; the pump's own basket catches what gets past; and behind both of them is an impeller with narrow passages that a single wedged twig can block.

A cracked or missing skimmer basket is therefore not a cosmetic problem. It moves the whole debris load one stage downstream, to the pump basket that is smaller and the impeller that is not designed to see leaves at all.

Identify your skimmer before you buy

1. Look for a part number on the old basket. Hayward SPX1070E and Pentair 513330 are the two most commonly stamped, and either one ends the search.
2. If there is no number, measure the basket: outer top width, inner top width and bottom width. U.S. Pool Supply publishes all three for its above-ground basket, which makes it the easiest to check against.
3. Note whether the pool is inground or above-ground. Inground skimmers take the larger 8 inch baskets; above-ground thru-wall skimmers take the smaller ones, and the two do not swap.
4. Check the handle style. A fixed handle can hold the skimmer lid slightly proud; a pivoting handle folds flat, which is what FibroPool's design is for.

What each basket states

Only two of these publish measurements or an OEM part number, and those are the two worth buying if either matches your skimmer. Everything else is a guess you pay shipping to confirm.

Weight, capacity and why a basket fails

Baskets fail in three ways, and each has a different answer.

• They crack. Sun and chlorine make plastic brittle over a few seasons, and a cracked basket passes debris. This is why the two-packs are good value: the spare is already on the shelf.
• They float. Without weight, an empty basket lifts off its seat when the pump draws hard. The Swimables basket states a brass weight for this; some OEM baskets rely on a tight throat instead.
• They overflow. A basket that fills in a day under leaf fall is not a basket problem - it is a leaf problem, and how to keep leaves out of a pool is the page for it.

Swimables states a 30 lb debris capacity, which is the only capacity figure published here. In practice the limit is how often you empty it: a basket at half full is already restricting flow, and a restricted skimmer makes the pump work harder for less circulation.

Skimmer socks: when they help and when they hurt

A skimmer sock is a fine mesh sleeve that stretches over the basket and catches what the basket's holes let through - pollen, fine silt, the dust that settles after a windy week.

They work, and they restrict flow. On a pool with a pollen problem or after an algae treatment, a sock in the skimmer takes real load off the filter. On a pool under trees in autumn, the same sock blinds within hours and starves the pump.

Use them seasonally rather than permanently, check them daily while they are in, and take them out the moment flow drops. They are cheap enough to treat as disposable, which is how they are sold.

Fitting a new basket

1. Switch the pump off before opening the skimmer lid. A skimmer under suction with the lid off can pull an arm hard against the throat.
2. Lift the old basket straight out and check the throat for cracks and for a weir door that no longer swings freely.
3. Drop the new basket in and check it seats flat with the handle clear of the lid.
4. Start the pump and watch the basket for a few seconds. If it lifts, you need a weighted basket or a better fit.
5. Check the pump basket a week later. If it is noticeably cleaner than it used to be, the old skimmer basket was passing debris.

The picks

Top pick - Hayward SPX1070E and Pentair U-3 skimmers

Swimables 8" Weighted Pool Skimmer Basket for In-Ground Pools

The aftermarket basket that names the parts it replaces and adds the thing OEM baskets often lack: a weight that keeps it seated.

The published figure

Listing states it replaces Pentair 08650-0007 and Hayward SPX1070E, holds up to 30 lb of debris, brass weight

Swimables states direct replacement for the Pentair U-3 basket 08650-0007 and the Hayward SPX1070E, which covers a large share of inground skimmers.

It states a 100% brass cylinder weight to keep the basket down. A basket that floats up when the pump starts lets debris bypass it entirely, which is the failure people never diagnose.

The listing states a 30 lb debris capacity and heavy-duty plastic construction for weather resistance.

What it does well

• Names the OEM baskets it replaces
• Brass weight stated to stop the basket floating
• Stated 30 lb debris capacity

What it costs you

• Aftermarket, so tolerances vary between skimmer generations
• Costs more than the OEM Pentair basket
• Single basket at this price

Skip it if your skimmer is an above-ground thru-wall unit. This is the 8 inch inground size.

$23.99 - View on Amazon

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Pick 2 - A Pentair HydroSkim, from Pentair

Pentair 513330 Hydro Skimmer Basket

The manufacturer's own part. On a skimmer basket the only specification that matters is whether it drops in, and an OEM part number answers that.

The published figure

Listing states an OEM Pentair HydroSkim skimmer basket, part 513330

The listing states it is the OEM Pentair HydroSkim basket, part 513330. Nothing else is published, and nothing else needs to be.

Skimmer baskets are a fit question, not a performance question. Match the part number on the old basket or measure the top and bottom widths of the throat before ordering.

A cracked basket is worth replacing the week you notice it: debris that gets past a split basket ends up in the pump basket and then the impeller.

What it does well

• OEM part, so the fit is not in question
• Costs less than most aftermarket multi-packs
• Straight swap, no tools

What it costs you

• Fits the HydroSkim and nothing else
• Single basket rather than a spare pair
• No published dimensions to check against another brand's skimmer

Skip it if your skimmer is a Hayward. Buy the basket that names your model.

$13.99 - View on Amazon

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Pick 3 - Above-ground thru-wall skimmers

U.S. Pool Supply Above-Ground Thru-Wall Skimmer Baskets, 2-pack

The only basket here that prints its measurements, which is exactly what you need when your skimmer has no readable part number left on it.

The published figure

Listing publishes the dimensions: 6.25 in outer top width, 4.6 in inner top, 3.75 in bottom

U.S. Pool Supply publishes the dimensions - 6.25 in outer top width, 4.6 in inner top width, 3.75 in bottom - and tells you to measure your existing basket before ordering. That is the right instruction and almost nobody gives it.

The listing states chemical-resistant firm plastic mesh with a built-in handle, in a two-pack.

Two baskets is the sensible quantity: one in the skimmer, one drying after you hose it out, and no reason to fish soggy leaves out of the only basket you own.

What it does well

• Publishes its actual dimensions
• Two baskets, so one can be swapped while the other dries
• Built-in handle for lifting

What it costs you

• Standard small size only - large thru-wall skimmers need a different basket
• Thin plastic compared with an OEM inground basket
• Not for inground skimmers

Skip it if your skimmer is inground. The 8 inch baskets are the ones to look at.

$7.99 - View on Amazon

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Pick 4 - A folding handle that stays out of the flow

FibroPool Above-Ground Skimmer Basket, 2-pack, Pivot Handle

Same above-ground job with a fold-down handle, which is a small detail that stops the handle sitting proud of the skimmer lid.

The published figure

Listing states a 6.15 in basket for through-wall systems fitting approximately 6.45 in top width; not for inground

FibroPool states a 6.15 in basket designed for most above-ground through-wall systems with an approximate 6.45 in top width, and states plainly that it is not intended for inground pools.

The pivoting handle folds flat during operation and lifts for removal. A fixed handle can foul the skimmer weir or hold the lid up slightly, which is a small annoyance you notice weekly.

Sold as a two-pack in sun-resistant plastic, with drop-in installation and no tools.

What it does well

• Fold-down handle sits flat in use
• Two-pack for quick swaps
• States the size it fits and the size it does not

What it costs you

• Above-ground only
• Fit is approximate - measure first
• Plastic mesh is less rigid than an OEM basket

Skip it if your skimmer throat is wider than about 6.45 in. Measure before ordering.

$13.75 - View on Amazon

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Pick 5 - Catching what the net misses

Coopache Pool Skimmer Socks, 30-pack

A few dollars of fine mesh over the skimmer basket removes more fine debris than any chemical on this site.

The published figure

Fine-mesh elastic liners for the skimmer basket, 30 per pack

A skimmer basket catches leaves. Everything smaller goes through it and into the pump, then into the filter, where it is your filter's problem.

A sock over the basket takes pollen, hair, insects and grit out before any of that happens, and it is the single cheapest upgrade to a pool's water clarity.

They restrict flow as they load. Check them at the same time you check the basket, not weekly.

What it does well

• Removes the fine debris that otherwise loads the filter
• Costs less per season than a single bottle of clarifier
• Extends the interval between filter cleans

What it costs you

• Restricts flow noticeably once loaded, and needs checking often
• Disposable, so there is a small ongoing cost

Skip it if your pump already runs at marginal flow. A loaded sock will starve it.

$8.99 - View on Amazon

$9.99 · 10% off

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